Patient Story: Oksana Masters

Oksana Masters was born in Khmelnitskyy, Ukraine and adopted at the age of seven by a single mother who brought her to the United States in February of 1997. She was born with multiple birth defects including: leg malformations that resulted in bilateral above knee amputations, hands without thumbs, and her fingers were webbed. Throughout her 22 years, she has already endured many surgeries due to these birth defects as well as from complications of radiation poisoning. She currently wears bilateral microprocessor leg prostheses (Genium Bionic : Legs) and is able to walk freely without any assistive devices.

Oksana was recruited to “try” rowing in 2002, which was the perfect fit for her abilities, and where she has continued to excel. She currently trains with the adaptive rowing program through the Louisville Rowing Center under coaches Randy Mills and Bobby Hurley. While she has competed and placed in many rowing competitions, her most recent gold medal finish was the Trunk and Arm’s Women’s World Indoor rowing Championship, where she also set the US record for an individual women. Her time: 1,000meters in 4 minutes, 34 seconds. She and her rowing partner are training to compete in the United States in the 2012 Paralympics Team Trials in the mixed doubles sculling competition.

Oksana Masters chooses Kentucky Prosthetics, because it is the “first place she was treated like she was able to do anything she ever wanted.” Matt Hayden, CP, told her she would be able to accomplish anything she put her mind to and there was no reason she needed to spend her days in a wheelchair. After working with Oksana over the past seven years, she has been able to attend college; work at local coffee shops; and pursue her rowing goals all without walking limitations.